Colombia on alert as dissident groups ramp up drone attacks

"In several parts of Colombia most affected by violence such as the department of Cauca or the Catatumbo region along the border with Venezuela residents have learned to recognize the hum of drones. Illegal armed groups are increasingly using them to drop explosives. That buzz, which heightens the communities' anxiety, has become a warning that sends people running for cover."

"Initial reports suggested that dissident factions of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla, led by Calarca Cordoba, attacked the officers using drones and explosive devices. When the helicopter touched down, it landed on a mine. The spot where the helicopter successfully landed, atop a hill, had been prepared days or perhaps months earlier with explosive cylinders buried a meter underground, President Petro said on social media."

Illegal armed groups in Colombia are increasingly using drones rigged with explosives, producing a distinctive hum that sends residents running for cover in violence-affected areas such as Cauca and Catatumbo. Reports of explosive-carrying drones are skyrocketing and observers fear escalation after an anti-narcotics helicopter crash that killed 13 police officers in Amalfi, Antioquia. Initial reports indicated dissident FARC factions led by Calarca Cordoba attacked with drones and explosive devices, and the helicopter landed on a mine in a location prepared days or months earlier with explosive cylinders buried a meter underground. Officials and commentators warn that aerial attacks by drones represent a new security challenge that must be addressed.

Read at english.elpais.com